


Venom

by Bofur1



Series: Where Sickness Thrives... [8]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Battle, Coma, Family Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, POV Balin, Panic, Poisoning, Separation Anxiety, Spider Venom, Stabbing, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2013-10-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 08:36:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/989968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Hold me tight and let me know that whatever happens you'll never let go...<em></em></em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Venom

A wild cry pealed from Balin’s lips as he twisted his sword into the gut of a Mirkwood Spider. They came so swiftly and in such great numbers, Balin had already lost count of the ones he had killed.

This battle was different from others. As always there was the sense of adrenaline that caused Balin’s heart and mind to race, but there was an even deeper sense of...menace. This menace wasn’t exuded from the Spiders themselves, but in the air around them. Every breath was thick and heavy, slipping uselessly through Balin’s throat while doing nothing to help hamper fatigue.

The Company was being overrun. Balin had not starved for so long since the Fell Winter back in Ered Luin, and dehydration was making his movements erratic and confused. It took a lot of his mental power just to remember how to perform the sword strokes he started.

 _Shows how old I’m really getting_ , Balin thought cheerlessly. In the next instant, however, his whole being was centered on someone else. He twirled his sword, slicing deep into his foe’s belly. As it fell Balin saw that, a few yards away, Fíli was hacking off flailing spider limbs. What Fíli failed to realize was that another arachnid was skulking behind him. Balin watched, paralyzed, as a gigantic, venom-slick stinger rose, ready to stab the prince.

“Fíli!”

Everything happened in a blur: Thorin flinging away his sword, breaking into a run, body-slamming Fíli out of the way, and being impaled himself. Thorin staggered back, doubling over as soon as the Spider’s barb withdrew from his body. All the color drained from Thorin’s face. His knees buckled, and he crumpled soundlessly to the ground.

Balin’s voice joined eleven others in a synchronized scream of horror. Mayhem worse than before erupted all around them, but Balin’s only goal was to reach Thorin. He fell down next to him.

“Thorin,” Balin gasped, pressing a hand to his cousin’s clammy cheek. Thorin’s face was vacant and his crystal blue eyes were dilated and void.

Clenching his teeth, Balin leapt to his feet and charged madly into the fray. As he slashed and hewed and gouged into the Spiders he glimpsed Óin in his peripheral, slumping comatose to the ground. Then it was Ori, then Bofur, then Glóin, then Bifur, Nori, and Bombur...

Abruptly Balin realized that every way he turned a Spider was there to block his way. He swallowed hard, backed up, and unexpectedly ran into a fur coat.

“Back to back,” Dwalin rumbled, knowing who it was without looking. Balin surged his body obediently against his brother’s. This was one of the rare times he was glad that Dwalin wanted to act like the older one.

The pair eyed the ring of arachnids warily, clutching their weapons in perspiring hands. A deep, stuffy silence settled down. Balin’s gaze shifted past the stalemate and rested on the Durin Heirs.

Fíli was curled in a fetal position at the base of a tree. The only indication that he lived was the slight sway of his braided moustache as he breathed. His dual swords lay mere inches away. Apparently those inches had been too far a distance, for he had collapsed before he could reach them.

Kíli was sprawled on his stomach just across from Fíli, his face strikingly pale against the dark bangs falling across his forehead. In his last moments of cognizance the youngest of their group had reached out to his fallen brother. Kíli’s fingers were tangled limply in Fíli’s golden hair.

A spark of anger kindled in the pit of Balin’s stomach, burning down his inner fuse. Fíli and Kíli were far too young to go through this. There was nothing Balin despised more than harm inflicted upon undeserving young ones. Nothing...

Dwalin must have felt Balin tense, for they sprang in perfect sync. The Dwarves were combating well, taking down the enemies with resistance that was only worth a glance or two on their arms.

 _If these creatures retreat, what shall we do about the others?_ Balin wondered as his blade sank into a brain with an unhealthy crunch. _What if the Spiders’ venom kills them befo—_

The next moment, Balin was staring down with wide eyes at the stinger lodged in his stomach. Balin heard his name, but it was mostly drowned out by a sharp, resonating clang in his ears. The toxin was already taking effect. The strength of Mirkwood’s gravity was oppressive, dragging Balin onto his hands and knees. The impact against the ground rippled through his bones, causing him to shudder. There he remained as numbness crawled through his body.

With great effort Balin lifted his head and wished he hadn’t. Black mist painted his vision and vertigo blanketed his mind. Balin dragged in a breath that tunneled down his throat and chilled his insides.

All at once Balin felt someone pull him into the cradle of their arms. There were panicked words, but he could barely process them.

“Nnnnooo...! Ddnn’tt...leeeeve mmeee...Ballllnnn...”

 _Forgive me,_ Balin thought he heard himself answer before the mist fully veiled his eyes.


End file.
